Free sites to be given to poor women

Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada J. Krishna Palemar has said that 1,500 sites will be distributed free of cost among poor women in the jurisdiction of the Mangalore City Corporation under the Vajpayee Housing Scheme.

Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of a function organised by the corporation here on Sunday, he said that since the government land available at Kavoor and Marakada would not be enough, private land would be purchased to form the layouts. The process of forming them would start after three months.

The layouts would have basic amenities such as roads, streetlights and water supply, he said.

The corporation needed 60 acres for the purpose, he added.

The Government would ban plastic bags less than 40 microns thick.

The Government was providing Rs. 5,000 each to eco-clubs in 3,600 schools for creating awareness among students about the need to protect biodiversity, he said.

To a question, he said that no decision had been taken yet on banning plastic bags in the jurisdiction of the Mangalore City Corporation, though he was in favour of it.